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@uiten tates @anni @ffice GILBERT H. CLEMENS AND EVERETT CLEMENS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Letters Patent No. 81,878, dated September 8,1868; Lmtedateol August 28, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM SAFETY-VALVES.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CNCERN:

Be it known that we, GILBERT I-I. CLEMENS and EvEnnrT CLnMENs, of the city and State of New York, have invented, made, and applied to use, a certain ne-w and useful Improvement in Safety-Valves 5 and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and. exact description of the said invention, reference being had to the annexed drawing, making part of this specication, wherein-f- Figure l is a vertical section of our improved safety-valve,

Figure 2 is a similar view, at right angles to tig. 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan, at the line a: z.

Figure 4 is a vertical section, and

Figure 5 is a sectional plan, at the line yy, of a modification ofthe said valve.

Similarl marks of reference denote the same parts.-

Safety-valves have heretofore been made with a weight and compound levers within a case, so that the pressure cannot be changed after the case has been locked up: -In these valves the levers have been arranged so as to press the valve down upon its seat, hence the valve was exposed to an accumulation of dust or dirt on its exterior surface, and the steam, in blowing off from the valve, carne into contact with the levers and parts acting upon the valve.

The nature of our said invention consists in a safety-valve, located below a seat and steam-pipe, and pressed upwards by the arrangement of weighted levers, whereby the parts are rendered compact, easily kept in order, and the vibration of the weight, in safety-valves, subject to motion as in a locomotive, is allowed for without injury to any ofthe parts.

In the drawing, a represents a portion of the top of the boiler, to which the safety-valve is attached. b is the bottom plate, forming the base of the apparatus. c c are pipes, that rise from the plate b, and open through the same; they also arch towards each other, and unite at the valve-seat d. e is thev Safety-valve, opening downwards, the stem being guidedlin the bridge 2, and passing through the plate 3.

Around the valve e isthe chamber-f, that receives the escaping steam when the valve is open, and causes its delivery at v The plate 3 receives the jaws 4 4, of the fulcrum-pins gg, of the levers t 7L, that stand radially to the valve-stein,A and receive at their outer ends the links, t'z', to the hanging weight 7c, and Z Z are steady-pins, with t springsaround them, the upper ends of these pins being attached permanently to the plate 3, and the lower endsentering freely holes in the weight. These steady-pins do not in any manner interfere'with the weight in its action upon the safety-valve, but they prevent injury to any of the parts by the ccncrssion ofthe weight, when suddenly moved, as in a locomotive. v

The ends 14, ofthe levers h, act upon the lower end of the valvefstem e, and said ends are formed as knifeedges entering depressions, as shown in g. l, or they may act upon allat surface in cases'where the fulcrumpins enter notches in the lever, so as to prevent the lever slipping endwise.

We have shown the fulcrum-'pins g as passing through slots or mortis/es in the levers L L, to allow the position of the fulorum to be changed, and thereby increase or lessen the power applied from a uniform weight to keep the safety-valve to its seat.

Thejaws 4, that carry the fulcrum-pins, are also slotted to allow of the knife-edged fulcrum-pins being moved in them, and I provide a graduation or scale, which should be marked upon such jaws, denoting in pounds the pressure per square inch required to open the safety-valve. The head of the fulcrum-piu is notched on line with the knife-edge, so as to show the graduation, and a nut at the other end retains the same in place when properly set.

The links are formed with knife-edges above the levers i, and they are connected respectively to the blocks 6, by bolts or pins 7, and these blocks are connected to the weight c by the pins or bolts 8, at right angles to the pins 7, so as to form a universal joint that will allow motion in any direction, and thereby prevent strain on the parts by the accidental movement ofthe weight.

The additional Weights k may be su'peradded tothe weight lc, to adapt' the apparatus. to different sizes of valves or Varying pressures.

The ease m eneloses the whole apparatus, and is to be securedv by a leek of any reliable character, so that it cannot be removed improperly for varying the pressure.

It willV now be understood that the Weight le keeps the valve e up te its seat with the required pressure, and that the safety-valve maybe caused to blow oii` by lifting the weight with a lever, s, shown by red lines in iig. 2.

The apparatus shown in figs. 4 and 5, is substantially the same ase before described, the variation being in the safety-valvebeingbeneath a horizontal steam-pipe. v

The same letters of reference indicate parts corresponding with those before described, and shown in figs. l, 2, and 3. We are, however, enabled to get longer levers by placing the fuleraupon the cross-bar n, that is attached permanently to the stationary sleeve, through 'which vthe valve-stem passes, and the ends of the levers aet upwards, as aforesaid, but on the cross-bar o, that is 'fixed to the valve-stem, instead of the valve-stem itself.

The valve-stem passing through theplate or sleeve 3, prevents the steam passing to the levers and weight and rusting the parts.

What We claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The arrangement-of the enclosed chamber f, with reference to the valve Within such chamber, the levers 7i h, and Weight 7c, below the same, substantially as set forth. v v

2. The arrangement of the levers 7i h, radially, whereby their shorter ends act directly upon the valvestem, and their longer ends sustain the weight, substantially as set'ferth.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our signatures, this 29th day of-Oetober, A. 1867.

' GILBERT H. CLEMENS,

EVERETT CLEMEN S.

Witnesses:

CnAs. H. SMITH, GEO. D. WALKER. 

